Here is a former graduate, Nathanial Ballard, speaking about his experience in the Cyber and Computer Science program of the SFSSM at The Citadel:
“The CS/Cyber Program allowed me to excel in my time at the Citadel. I was able to not only complete my studies but engage in student research and participate on the cyber team which ultimately helped me land a job after graduation. The program is structured in a way that you can add other subjects to your studies and still be successful. In my case I graduated with a double major in Mathematics and Computer Science, and a double minor in Cyber Security and Applied Statistics. All of the faculty care about your success. They try their hardest to make sure that every student who goes through the program emerges successful. They can assist with simple class questions, facilitate student research, help find jobs in the area looking for computer scientists, and much more, they are here to help you. I would not trade my time in the CS/Cyber department for anything and I truly believe this program has prepared me to be as successful as possible after graduation.”
Most CS majors complete internships or research projects before graduation, working closely with industry and faculty to do so. Recently, students have landed internship opportunities with the FBI, NSA, General Dynamics, Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, SPAWAR, just to name a few. Recent research projects have involved social media data mining, network communication and security, and applications of blockchain technology. Students present their innovative projects at regional and national conferences. Over the last several years, Citadel computer science majors have completed dozens of presentations, won several presentation awards, and published several papers and abstracts.
Combined with their degrees, these experiences have propelled our graduates into exciting careers. A significant portion of our graduates commission in the Armed Forces (all branches), including positions in Cybersecurity. Most of our graduates enter the workforce as software engineers, security analysts, and developers for firms such as Booz Allen Hamilton, Phishlabs, SAIC, Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab, Boomtown ROI, Duke Energy, and ICES.
Computing is at the heart of every industry, and our graduates are using their Citadel Experiences to make a real difference.